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Rice Basketball Recruiting: G Nick Anderson commits to Owls

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Another Transfer Portal addition to the Rice basketball recruiting class has been announced. Prairie View A&M guard Nick Anderson committed to the Owls.

Days after the Transfer Portal has opened the 2025 Rice Basketball recruiting class has grown by two. Following the commitment of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi center Stephen Giwa on Thursday, the Owls have picked up another pledge. Prairie View A&M guard Nick Anderson has committed to the Owls.

“They made me feel the most wanted, and made sure I knew they would have my back whether things are good or bad,” Anderson told The Roost in regards to his early impressions of Rice and the Owls’ staff. “It just felt like family as soon as I walked through the doors.”

To get to South Main, Anderson has worked his way up from the DIII level, beginning his collegiate basketball career at St. Thomas in 2022, scoring 8 points with four rebounds against Rice in 2023 on his way to averaging 16.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per game during that sophomore season. From there, Anderson made the leap to D1 and did not miss a beat.

In his lone season at Prairie View, Anderson averaged 18.9 points per game before suffering an injury that ended his season. At the time his season ended in late December, following an 18-point, 10-rebound performance against Rice, Anderson was the leading scorer in the WAC who already had big games against DePaul, Mississippi State and UCLA on his resume.

Anderson is the type of explosive scorer the Owls needed desperately last season and in terms of how transfers are graded, he’s one of the more proven commodities that have headed to South Main in recent years.

More: Rice Basketball 2025 Roster Tracker

“I feel like I score the ball at a high level without having to force it and ruin the flow of the offense,” Anderson said.

The highlights are enticing and seem to back up Anderson’s assertions. He isn’t afraid to put the ball down and go, moving with an aggressive intensity in the paint. He’s also a capable three-point threat, making him a versatile scorer from all three levels and a big get for Rice basketball from the portal.

“I like to have fun on the court, so I may have some goofy reactions,” he joked. “lol “But winning is the most important thing so I’m here to help Rice win some games.”

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Rice Basketball 2025 Roster Tracker

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The Rice basketball roster is going through its usual offseason permutations. Stay tuned here for updates as the Transfer Portal turns.

Roster churn has become a part of college sports as we know and Rice basketball is not immune to the ebb and flow of players coming in and out. With the 2024-2025 season in the books, this page will serve as a running tracker regarding the roster for the upcoming season as it currently stands. The last official roster is available here.

Feel free to bookmark it and refer back to it from time to time as players announce their intentions throughout the offseason.

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What’s Next: Rice Athletics and the House Settlement

Posted: June 27, 2025

The House Settlement sent shockwaves through college sports. This month’s subscriber Q&A focuses on what it means for Rice Athletics. College sports won’t be the same as they once were following the House Settlement earlier this summer, which introduces the first organized attempts at direct payments to college athletes. Every university is approaching the changes […]

Rice Football, NCAA

Judge Approves Historic House v. NCAA Settlement

Posted: June 6, 2025

Following a lengthy process, a federal judge on Friday granted final approval of the House v. NCAA Settlement, paving the way for schools to pay athletes directly. In a landmark decision that will alter the landscape of collegiate sports, Judge Claudia Wilken of the Northern District of California approved a far-reaching settlement of the House […]

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Rice Basketball Recruiting: G Jordan Williams commits to Owls

Posted: June 3, 2025

An SEC transfer has signed as the final addition to the 2025 Rice basketball recruiting class. Former Vanderbilt point guard Jordan Williams is officially an Owl. Following an initial flurry of activity with the end of the season, rosters across the country have been trending closer and closer towards competition. The 2025 Rice Basketball recruiting […]

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Rice Basketball Recruiting: F Eternity Eguagie commits to Owls

Posted: April 23, 2025

A dynamic JUCO hooper is joining the 2025 Rice basketball recruiting class. Forward Eternity Eguagie has committed to the Owls. Since he arrived at South Main, head coach Rob Lanier has made it abundantly clear he’ll look everywhere for talented playmakers to add to his roster. The most recent addition to the 2025 Rice Basketball […]

Rice Basketball, Rice Basketball recruiting, Dallas Hobbs

Rice Basketball Recruiting: G Dallas Hobbs commits to Owls

Posted: April 22, 2025

The Transfer Portal remains kind to Rice basketball recruiting efforts. Mount St. Mary’s guard Dallas Hobbs has committed to the Owls. A high-scoring point guard with NCAA Tournament experience is heading to South Main as the most recent addition to the 2025 Rice Basketball recruiting class. Mount St. Mary’s guard Dallas Hobbs has committed to […]

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Rice Basketball Recruiting: C Stephen Giwa commits to Owls

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The first Transfer Portal addition of the incoming Rice basketball recruiting class is on board. Texas A&M Corpus Christi center Stephen Giwa has committed to the Owls.

Transfer Portal season is upon us, which means new faces for the incoming Rice basketball recruiting class. A few players have already announced their intentions to leave South Main, opening up spots for the program to bolster the roster for the upcoming year. The Owls kicked off this cycle with the addition of a nearby talent, landing a commitment from Corpus Christi center Stephen Giwa.

Giwa was born in Nigeria and moved to Houston at the age of 12, going to high school in the area before heading out of the city for school. Giwa told The Roost he considers himself a Houston native and is looking forward to returning home with his wife as they prepare to welcome their first child this summer.

Given the level of responsibilities Giwa already has on his plate, finding the right home for his final season of college ball was paramount. That’s where Rice entered the picture, making an impressive case to land his services.

“From the moment I met Coach Lanier and the staff, I could tell they genuinely cared, not just about me as a player but as a person,” Giwa said. “Meeting them made me want to be part of the family they’re building here. Our core values aligned in a way that felt natural.”

Giwa arrives after Rice following three productive seasons with Texas A&M Corpus Christi, growing into a full time starter over the last two seasons, most recently averaging 5.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game a season ago while leading the Islanders with a .636 shooting percentage. For reference, that’s almost 50 points better than any Rice player over the same time period.

It’s not just the scoring ability that made this pairing a fit. Giwa prides himself on his defense and says he wants to grow, something he credits the Owls’ coaching staff for demonstrating along the way.

“What I liked most about the system is how much it values playing with physicality, purpose, and unselfishness,” Giwa said. “I look forward to being part of a program that plays with discipline and toughness, which is exactly how I like to play.”

More: Rice Basketball 2025 Roster Tracker

Giwa should step in and fill a role in the post, taking over for the departing Caden Powell and giving Rice basketball a presence in the interior. The 6-foot-9 big man will be leaned on heavily for his rebounding ability and should be a tremendous fit in the Owls’ system.



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Rice Women’s Basketball run ends in AAC Championship loss to USF

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Midnight finally came for No. 9 Seed Rice Women’s Basketball, who saw their incredible run end in a loss to USF in the AAC Tournament Championship Game.

Sussy Ngulefac was the stabilizing force that did everything she could to keep the 2024-2025 Rice Women’s Basketball season alive. Following a quieter set of games earlier in the AAC Tournament, Ngulefac scored eight of the Owls’ first 10 points in the Championship Game and was the only counterpunch Rice had early for an explosive South Florida attack.

South Florida knocked down a trio of threes in the first quarter — Rice wouldn’t hit a single three until the final minutes — to go in front by six after one quarter. They’d grow that lead to 11 at halftime and as many as 15 points midway through the third frame.

More: Rice Football: 2025 Recruiting Class Analysis — Defense

It was Malia Fisher who helped engineer the Owls’ comeback bid. Last season’s Championship Game MVP, Fisher scored 17 points and grabbed six boards, propelling Rice back into the game and cutting the deficit to five points midway through the fourth quarter. The Owls wouldn’t get closer than that, though.

Rice Women’s Basketball season comes to an end one game short of a second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament at 17-17 overall and 7-11 in conference play

Final Box | USF 69, Rice 62

Highlights

What They’re Saying | Press Conference

Key takeaway | Evaluating an unexpected season

Properly remembering the 2024-2025 Rice women’s basketball season is going to come with its challenges. On one hand, the team drastically underperformed their preseason expectations from November through February.

Head coach Lindsay Edmonds and her team opened the year talking about NET rankings and improving upon their tournament seeding, only to tumble down the standings and finish as a No. 9 Seed in the conference tournament. Yes, a step above the No. 10 Seed line the Owls had when they cut down the nets a year ago, but a far cry from NCAA caliber… or was it?

If the Owls get a better start or avoid a season-worst shooting performance from three, that same underperforming team would be going back to the Big Dance. That’s quite a turnaround from where things began.

“I think it’s no secret we didn’t have the overall season that we wanted to have from the expectations of where we finished last season to how we wanted to start the season, how we wanted to start the conference play. But I think, again, it just matters of how much this team bought into we are here [at the AAC Tournament and] now it’s 0-0 and best team will win,” Edmonds said. “and we came out trying to do whatever it took to keep playing and to continue playing.

“It just goes to the grittiness and the toughness of our team. We let the losses fall away from January and February. We weren’t worried about those. We were just worried about the present. We were where our feet were and we were trying to be the best Rice women’s basketball team that we could be.”

That version of the Owls looked a lot like the preseason No. 2 team, which many expected to take the court this season. Edmonds’s job now is to determine why that team waited until crunch time to show up and how she can expedite that process without five departing seniors.

The reality is, this year was messy, but nearly came together in a storybook run. There is always plenty of good and bad in a season like this. Figuring out how to sort one from the other and move on is the difference between fun weeks in Fort Worth and a team set up for success in the long run. The Owls and Edmonds certainly hope to be back here a year from now as an established squad they believe they’re capable of growing into, not another Cinderella.



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Rice Basketball falls to Charlotte in AAC Tournament

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No. 12 Seed Rice Basketball took an early lead but couldn’t hang on, falling to No. 13 Seed Charlotte in the AAC Tournament.

The opening game of the AAC Tournament started out at a modest pace with Rice Basketball and Charlotte trading baskets in the early minutes of the first half. The 49ers held a modest lead before the Owls started scoring in earnest. Trailing by one midway just past the midpoint of the half, Rice would go on a 15-3 run jumping out to a big lead. They’d hold an 11 point advantage at the break and looked to be in control, but Charlotte wasn’t done just yet.

The 49ers came out of the break with furious intensity, getting the game back within three with a 10-2 burst to open the second half. Rice would hold the edge for some time past that, but the margin would never reach double digits again. Instead, Charlotte drew level, tying the game at 52 with 4:41 to play.

More: Rice Football: 2025 Recruiting Class Analysis — Offense

Once again, Rice basketball found itself with the game on the line in the final moments. Free throws were exchanged and Rice had the ball down by one with 13.3 remaining. A jumper from Trae Broadnax bounced off the rim, Charlotte grabbed the board and just like that the Owls’ season was effectively over.

Rice ends its season with a finale record of 13-19.

Final Box | Charlotte 64, Rice 61

Highlights

What They’re Saying | Press Conference

Key takeaway | Learning to close

This marks the 13th straight defeat for Rice basketball in games decided by six points or fewer. Bad luck plays into any such streak that disastrous in nature, but the clear inability to close out games is unmistakable. Credit is due to coach Rob Lanier, who addressed his team’s most glaring flaw head on.

“It’s kind of been the same story for us throughout the year. We’ve been in a lot of these close games and haven’t found a way to win it, Lanier said. “I told them that I’ll take responsibility for my part in that, and going forward the guys who come back, they have to share in that responsibility so we can grow and we can change the face of what this program is all about.”

Even though this kind of result isn’t new, the emotions post game were still very real.

“No, there’s no less pain,” Lanier said.

Likewise, guard Trae Broadnax opened up about the growing weight of the team’s struggles in those clutch situations this season. “I think when they don’t go the right way, I think there’s a lot of anxiety that rises up just because we haven’t got over the hump in so many of those close games down the stretch,” he said “You can turn the entire thing around in terms of results so that you can get that monkey off your back, but we never got to the point where we could do that.”

Broadnax has an additional year of eligibility remaining and indicated he’s looking forward to joining Lanier in rectifying the Owls’ biggest flaw. The 2024-2025 season is in the books. That work can start right now.



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